Secure identity document and methods of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A security document is disclosed to include an image area provided on a front side of the document that includes image content, an information area provided on the front side that includes informational content, and a security feature including a pattern of perforations provided in an overlapping relationship with the image area and the information area so as to simultaneously bind and secure the image content with the informational content.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A secure document, comprising:
 a front side; 
 a backside opposite the front side; 
 an image area provided on the front side, the image area having image content; 
 an information area provided on the front side, the information area having informational content; and 
 a security feature comprising a pattern of perforations at least partially overlapping the image area and at least partially overlapping the information area, the overlapping thereby binding the image content with the informational content; 
 wherein at least a portion of the pattern of perforations is laser-engraved on the front side, and wherein at least some of the perforations remove some of the image content provided on the front side and at least others of the perforations remove some of the informational content provided on the front side. 
 
     
     
       2. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern of perforations is based, at least in part, on the image content of the image area. 
     
     
       3. The document of  claim 2 , wherein the pattern of perforations is provided on the front side. 
     
     
       4. The document of  claim 2 , wherein the security feature comprises a mirrored image from the image area. 
     
     
       5. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern of perforations is provided at least partially on the front side and at least partially on the backside. 
     
     
       6. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern of perforations overlaps the image area and the information area in equal proportions. 
     
     
       7. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern of perforations overlaps the image area and the information area in non-equal proportions. 
     
     
       8. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern of perforations is based, at least in part, on the informational content of the information area and the informational content describes a person portrayed in the image area. 
     
     
       9. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the image area is non-overlapping with respect to the information area. 
     
     
       10. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the image area at least partially overlaps the information area, and wherein the security feature overlaps at least a portion of the overlap between the image area and information area. 
     
     
       11. The document of  claim 1 , wherein the image content is printed onto the front side and the informational content is printed onto the front side. 
     
     
       12. A method of manufacturing a secure document, the method comprising:
 creating an image area on a front side of the secure document by printing an image of a holder onto the front side; 
 creating an information area on the front side of the secure document by printing information that describes the holder onto the front side; and 
 laser-engraving a security feature including an image of the holder comprised of a pattern of perforations that overlap at least some of the image area and overlap at least some of the information area, wherein at least a portion of the pattern of perforations is laser-engraved on the front side, and wherein at least some of the perforations remove some of the image of the holder printed on the front side and at least others of the perforations remove some of the information that describes the holder printed on the front side. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the pattern of perforations is provided at least partially on the front side and at least partially on a back side of the secure document. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the image area is adjacent to, but not overlapping with, the information area. 
     
     
       15. An identification document comprising:
 a first facial image provided as a first pattern of perforations formed in a substrate of the identification document; 
 first additional information corresponding to a holder of the identification document, the additional information provided as a second pattern of perforations formed in the substrate of the identification document; and 
 a second facial image, wherein the first facial image, the first additional information, or both the first facial image and the first additional information at least partially overlaps with the second facial image; 
 wherein the first additional information corresponds to a birthdate of the holder and at least partially overlaps with the first facial image. 
 
     
     
       16. An identification document comprising:
 a first facial image provided as a first pattern of perforations formed in a substrate of the identification document; 
 first additional information corresponding to a holder of the identification document, the additional information provided as a second pattern of perforations formed in the substrate of the identification document; and 
 second additional information corresponding to the holder, the second additional information provided as a third pattern of perforations formed in the substrate of the identification document; 
 wherein the first additional information corresponds to at least one of: an age of the holder; a driver's license class or certification; an identification of membership in a professional organization; a professional license number; permission(s) information; a security clearance level; or any combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       17. The identification document of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the second additional information corresponds to another one of: an age of the holder; a driver's license class or certification; an identification of membership in a professional organization; a professional license number; permission(s) information; or a security clearance level; 
 the first additional information and the second additional information at least partially overlap with the first facial image; and 
 the identification document further comprises a second facial image, wherein the first facial image, first additional information, and second additional information at least partially overlap with the second facial image.